The big stick then and now

In the upper left-hand corner is a Native American man standing in a canoe with a stick with “1607” in the corner. The rest of the cartoon is a much larger President Roosevelt holding a “big stick” and standing on a battleship cruising into the “Jamestown Exposition” in 1907.

comments and context

Comments and Context

A number of expositions and fairs were held during the Theodore Roosevelt Administration. The Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, of course, is where President William McKinley was shot, leading to Roosevelt’s succession. The St. Louis World’s Fair was opened by the president by electronic signal, and only visited in late 1904, because Roosevelt did not want to appear to use a visit to the Fair as an advantage during his presidential campaign. In the last weeks of his presidency, among several national observances, Roosevelt made his way to Hardin, Kentucky, to mark the centennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth.

In 1907 the Jamestown Exposition was mounted to commemorate the tercentennial of the Virginia colony’s founding. It was as much a commercial enterprise as a civic celebration, and as such was beset by delays and disputes. Roosevelt eventually attended twice, on its opening day and on “Georgia Day,” where he paid homage to his Southern ancestors.

Despite spectacular shortcomings and shortfalls and financial woes, the Exposition over the course of its run managed some spectacular achievements and exhibitions too — prominent visitors, landmark exhibitions (such as a grand automobile display), and a handsome pavilion devoted to the progress and status of black Americans.

Cartoonist Hugh J. Doyle of the Philadelphia Press, known more for his seminal comic strips (e.g., Lazy Lew Casey) than political cartoons, pounced upon a graphic parallel between “big sticks” of big chiefs separated by three centuries.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-04-28

Creator(s)

Doyle, Hugh J., 1873-1924

Language

English

Period

U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)

Page Count

1

Production Method

Printed

Record Type

Image

Resource Type

Cartoon

Rights

These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.

Citation